A collaborative digital framework for nineteenth-century letters of science

The Charles Darwin Collection

The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in εpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.

2 May 1809 or 2 May 1810 or 2 May 1811 or 2 May 1812 or 2 May 1813 or 2 May 1814 or 2 May 1815 or 2 May 1816 or 2 May 1817 or 2 May 1818 or 2 May 1819 or 2 May 1820 or 2 May 1821 or 2 May 1822 or 2 May 1823 or 2 May 1824 or 2 May 1825 or 2 May 1826 or 2 May 1827 or 2 May 1828 or 2 May 1829 or 2 May 1830 or 2 May 1831 or 2 May 1832 or 2 May 1833 or 2 May 1834 or 2 May 1835 or 2 May 1836 or 2 May 1837 or 2 May 1838 or 2 May 1839 or 2 May 1840 or 2 May 1841 or 2 May 1842 or 2 May 1843 or 2 May 1844 or 2 May 1845 or 2 May 1846 or 2 May 1847 or 2 May 1848 or 2 May 1849 or 2 May 1850 or 2 May 1851 or 2 May 1852 or 2 May 1853 or 2 May 1854 or 2 May 1855 or 2 May 1856 or 2 May 1857 or 2 May 1858 or 2 May 1859 or 2 May 1860 or 2 May 1861 or 2 May 1862 or 2 May 1863 or 2 May 1864 or 2 May 1865 or 2 May 1866 or 2 May 1867 or 2 May 1868 or 2 May 1869 or 2 May 1870 or 2 May 1871 or 2 May 1872 or 2 May 1873 or 2 May 1874 or 2 May 1875 or 2 May 1876 or 2 May 1877 or 2 May 1878 or 2 May 1879 or 2 May 1880 or 2 May 1881 or 2 May 1882

Classmark:

Sotheby’s (dealers) (28 March 1983)

Summary:

"When a man has laboured hard in science & has proved that he is capable of original research, he may [some]times indulge in speculation [&] the public will indulge him. But even in this case it is a common error to speculate too largely, for speculation is far easier than observation or experiments . . ."

Erasmus Alvey Darwin has rheumatism; his sisters complain of his bad temper but CD thinks him very good tempered. CD has received a new cabinet. [This is the first of six entries written in a "Memorandum book" comprising four sheets folded into a gather and sewn together in book form. The entries are in the style of letters addressed to an unnamed friend and are dated between 1 and 12 January 1822, shortly before CD’s thirteenth birthday. As they were written straight into the memorandum book, it is clear that they were never sent through the post, but were either to an imaginary recipient, or intended to be read by someone in the household, possibly CD’s youngest sister, Emily Catherine Darwin (Catherine).]

Likes Mariane who is very good to Miss Jones; CD bought cakes in town while Mariane visited Miss Jones; he was embarrassed to be shown into her bedroom when he returned. Miss Clare has had an accident.

Was joined by Colonel Burgh Leighton when walking in the quarry. Plans to make caves next summer to store "warlike instruments" and "relicks". Sketches a design for a signalling device. May go with his father to visit the Earl of Powys at Walcot; visited Mrs and Miss Reynolds and William Pemberton Cludde.

EAD wants changes made and shelves built to improve the laboratory at the Mount [Darwin residence]; sends drawings and will bring chemical instruments, a book, and his record of experiments done in his chemistry course.